Sept-October Supplemental

Howdy all!

2023 up-dated SAGE Guitar Awards criteria!

RECITAL: Next recital will be in NOVEMBER at Goodwood. Details soon!

FIELD TRIPS: The Woodsongs field trip was a great success. We've had to re-schedule the TV station and recording studio, but will have details on that asap.

SONGWRITING SERIES: As of this writing, I have 13 lesson articles in the new "Sonic Sorcery" songwriting series, which you can access HERE. Unlike the songwriting workshops, we're deconstructing individual songs to look at chord progressions, forms, lyrics, and more. ALSO in the works: the new 8-week songwriting class video series!

SD MAGAZINE: The songwriting series mentioned above is not all at SD Magazine. We also have 80+ articles from the "Guitar Gods" interview series (unknown gurus to Grammy Award winners), music reviews, art & photography, and more!

WEB RESOURCES: If you haven't already, please sign up as a member at the SDML membership page so you will have access to all the material we offer.

TUITION: Those students signed up with me, I do all invoicing via SQUARE, but if you prefer you can use one of the following methods: you can pay with card or Paypal account at my directly link http://www.paypal.me/skinnydevilmusic or Venmo at www.venmo.com/David-McLean-47 ....and I'm told I need to open a BITCOIN wallet, so I suppose I'd better look into that, also (if you have advice there, please let me know)....though I'm told you can use Bitcoin or Etherium via PayPal and Venmo, so if that's your preferred method of payment, that works for me!

ALSO...if you sign up at my PATREON ($5/month), I'm happy to discount your tuition by the same amount.

1) GROUP STUDENTS - NEW CLASS begins Thursday, May 5 at Willis Music (with Zoom option)! Link & password to the entire 8 weeks session is below the schedule....The schedule is as follows:

4pm - G4
5pm - G1

Join Zoom Meetings at:
https://us04web.zoom.us/j/5343966529?pwd=N09CWXhvOFFzY0RHSjBBaWs2TWUzUT09
Meeting ID: 534 396 6529
Password: 949288

2) PRIVATE STUDENTS - The above link should also function for ALL private lessons. You'll simply be directed to the "waiting room" if you log in early.

Each of you should be receiving (via email and/or text) your individual lesson sheets (in some cases with links to doc or video supplements). I'll be sending these weekly, as a general thing, unless we are just reviewing.

If you have NOT received these, please contact me immediately so we can rectify the situation today!

3) SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL - Below are videos that include several song walk-thrus & play-alongs, as well as a drill material. Some of this several of you started on last week. The rest is new material.

All videos are UNLISTED (except where noted), so you have to have the link to access the video.

This page will be up-dated throughout the month with additional material, so check back each week (though I will often be sending notifications).

Video Drills

G3 and G4 level:
Workout #1 (dexterity, rhythm, scale drills)
Workout #2 (chord drill, including barre chords)
Workout #3 (improvisation - minor blues)
Am Blues Improv Track
C major Improv Track

Advanced Only:
Rhythm drill call & response

Rhythm drill 4-level counting

JAM TRAX

"Soulful Blues" in Am

"Passionate Uplifting Ballad" in F#

Song Charts

"Sound of Silence" Simon & Garfunkle (1964)
Capo at 6

intro:
Am....

Verse
G - - - /G - - - /Am - - - /Am - - - /
F - C - /C - - -- /F - C - /C - - - - /
F - - - /F - - - /C - - - /C - Am - /
C - - - /G - - - /Am - - -/Am - - - /
repeat throughout

(note: this is general chart - they make specific 2 beat alterations in each verse)

"Caroline in My Mind" James Taylor (1968)

capo @2

chorus

D - - - /G - - - /Em - - - /A - - - /

G - - - /A - - - /Em - - - /A - - - /

D - - - /Bm - - - /G - - - /E7 - - - /

D - A - /Em - A - /D - - - /D - - - /

verse

D - - - /C - - - /G - - - /A - - - /

Bm - - - /G - - - /A - - - /A - - - /

G - - - /D - - - /Bm - Em - /A - - - /

D - Bm - /Em - A - /D - - - /D - - - /

"Space Oddity" David Bowie (1969)

pre-verse

C - - - /Em - - - /C - - - /Em - - - /

Am - - - /D - - - /

C - - - /Em - - - /C - - - /Em - - - /

Am - - - /D - - - /

verse

C - - - /E7 - - - /F - - - /

Fm - C - /F - - - /Fm - C - /F - - - /

C - - - /E7 - - - /F - - - /

Fm - C - /F - - - /Fm - C - /F - - - /

chorus

Fmj7 - - - /Em - - - /Fmj7 - - - /Em - - - /

Bb - Am - /G - F - - - - /

break

C F G A /C F G A /

Fmj7 - - - /Em - - - /A - - - /

C - - - /D - - - /E7 - - - /

"If You Could Read My Mind" Gordon Lightfoot (1970)

G - - - /G - - - /F - - - /F - - - /

G - - - /G - - - /F - - - /F - - - /

G - - - /G - - - /C - - - /D - - - /

Em - - - /C - - - /G - - - /

C - - - G - - - Am - - - D - - - /

(note: 4th line has three measures rather than four)

"Margaritaville" Jimmy Buffet (1977)

intro tab available

verse

D - - - /D - - - /D - - - /D - - - /

D - - - /D - - - /A - - - /A7 - - - /

A - - - /A7 - - - /A - - - /A7 - - - /

A - - - /A7 - - - /D - - - /D - - - /

chorus

G - - - /A - - - /D - - - /D - - - /

G - - - /A - - - /D - - - /D - - - /

G - - - /A - A7 - /D - A - /G - - - /

A - - - /G - - - /D - - - /D - - - /

"Dreams" Fleetwood Mac (1977)

F - - - /G - - - /F - - - /G - - - /

repeat throughout

(note: the chords are often Fmj7 to G6, though Lindsey explores around the keys & bass extensively)

"Comfortably Numb" Pink Floyd (1979)

verse

Bm - - - /A - - - /G - Em - /Bm - - - /

Bm - - - /A - - - /G - Em - /Bm - - - /

chorus

D - - - /A - - - /D - - - /A - - - /

C - - - /G - - - /C - - - /G - - - /

D - - - /A - - - /D - - - /A - - - /

C - - - /G - - - /C - - - /G - - - /

A - - - / C - G - /D - - - /

first guitar solo uses chorus changes

second guitar solo uses verse changes

"Fast Car" Tracy Chapman (1988)

tab available

verse

see tab (underlying chords are C - G - /Em - D - / repeat)

chorus

C - - - /G - - - /Em7 - - - /D - - - /

C - Em - /D - - - /C - Em - /D - - - /

C - D - /

"More Than Words" Extreme (1990)
(see live or video lesson for specifics of picking - timing on chart is NOT exact)

intro/transition
G - - - /Cadd9 - - - /Am - - - /C - D - /
repeat as necessary

verse
G - - - /Cadd9 - - - /Am - - - /C - D - /
G - - - /Cadd9 - - - /Am - - - /C - D - /
Em - - - /Am - - - /D7 - - - /G - - - /

chorus
Em - - - /Am - - - /D7 - - - /G7 - - - /
C - - - /Cm - - - /G - - - /Em - - - /
Am - - - /D - - - /

"I'm a Believer" Smashmouth (2001)

originally The Monkees (1966) - half step higher that Smashnouth version

verse

F# - - - /C# - - - /F# - - - /F# - - - /

F# - - - /C# - - - /F# - - - /F# - - - /

B - - - /F# - - - /B - - - /F# - - - /

B - - - /F# - - - /C# - - - /C# - - - /

chorus

F# - B - /F# - - - /F# - B - /F# - - - /

F# - B - /F# - - - /F# - B - /F# - - - /

F# - - - /B - - - /F# - - - /E - - - /

C# - - - /C# - - - /

"Back to Black" Amy Winehouse (2006)

verse/chorus:
Dm - - - /Dm - - - /Gm - - - /Gm - - - /
Bb - - - /Bb7 - - - -/A - - - /A7 - - - -/

bridge:
Dm - - - /Dm - - - /Bbmj7 - - - /Bbmj7 - - - /
F - - - /F - - - /A7 - - - /A7 - - - /

"Valerie" Amy Winehouse & Mark Ronson (2007)
originally by Zutons (2006) - Amy version uses Bo Diddley Beat
capo @3

verse
C - - - /C - - - /Dm - - - /Dm - - - /
C - - - /C - - - /Dm - - - /Dm - - - /

pre
F - - - /Em - - - /F - - - /Em - - - /
F - - - /Em - - - /G - - - /G7 - - - /

chorus
C - - - /C - - - /Dm - - - /Dm - - - /
repeat as needed

"Heartache Medication" John Pardi (2019)
 capo at 2

verse
G - - - /G - - - /Am - - - /Am - - - /
D - - - - /D - - - -/Am - - - /D - - - /

chorus
G - - - /G- - - - /Am - - - /Am - - - /
D - - - - /D - - - -/Am - - - /D - - - /

Am - - - /D - - - /D - - - /
G - - - /G- - - - /Am - - - /D - - - /

"Anti Hero" Taylor Swift (2022)

verse/chorus

A - - E /B - - C#m/A - - E /B - - C#m/

A - - E /B - - C#m/A - - E /B - - C#m/

repeat 

bridge

A - E - /B - C#m - /A - E - /B - C#m - /

repeat

Suggested Listening

Hailed by some as the "return of the guitar solo", check out the 2023 release "RISE" by the band Extreme (with Nuno Bettencourt on guitar).

Superstar Taylor Swift and music legend James Taylor (the man after whom she is named) play together onstage HERE!

Suggested Reading

Happy birthday to Nuno Bettencourt....read my 2012 interview with this guitar legend (plays for Rhianna, Extreme, and more)....SD Magazine's 3rd most read story!

Happy birthday to George Lynch....read my 2014 interview with guitar legend (player for Dokken, Lynch Mob, and more)....SD Magazine's 2nd most read story!

Happy birthday to Steve Lukather....read my interview with this SEVEN time Grammy winning guitarist (founder of TOTO who also played with Michael Jackson, Aretha Franklin, Lionel Richie, Richard Marx, Donna Summers, Warren Zevon, and dozens more)!

September 1970 was the final interview with Jimi Hendrix....available at Guitar World HERE. 

Happy Birthdays

September
Nuno Bettencourt (Extreme), Barry Gibb, Mark Ronson, Kim Thayil (Soundgarden), Dweezil Zappa, Chrissie Hynde (Pretenders), Pink, Aimee Mann, Joe Perry (Aerosmith), Tommy Shaw (Styx), Ben Folds, Nick Jonas (Jonas Bro), Nile Rodgers, Don Felder (Eagles), Joan Jett, Ani DiFranco, Lita Ford, Bruce Springsteen, Avril Lavigne, Les Claypool (Primus), George Lynch (Dokken, Lynch Mob).....

October
Sting (Police), Don McLean, Chubby Checker, Lindsey Buckingham (Fleetwood Mac), Steve Miller, Lewis Capaldi, Thom Yorke (Radiohead), John Mellencamp, Bruno Mars, David Lee Roth (Van Halen), Sammy Hagar (Monstrose/Van Halen), Paul Simon, John Mayer, Alan Jackson, Steve Lukather (Toto), Katy Perry, Mattias Jabs (Scorpions), Glenn Tipton (Judas Priest), Keith Urban, KK Downing (Judas Priest)....